Gimme Shelter

Psalm 2:12 "...Blessed are all who take REFUGE in Him.

I love the way God speaks to me through His Word. This morning I spent some time musing on this small ending passage of Psalm 2.
I have read this at least 100 times, the phrase about taking refuge in God. There are many references of God being our defense in the scriptures. He is our strong tower, the shield of Faith that quenches the fiery darts of the enemy, our refuge and strength. But of course, as many of us often do, I have read right over it with nothing more than a swift "amen", because that's what I have trained myself to do. But this is such a powerful truth and great promise. That we always have refuge or shelter.
I stand also with a loving rebuke today for the prayers of yesterday. I realized as I read this today just how much this truth of of refuge had escaped my radar of practical application. You see, and I think we can all relate, don't we get our need of refuge confused with rescue? Tis true I have spent most of my crying out to God times in seek of rescue. I want out of something. I want Him to remove the challenges and temptations that life offer in order that I may escape them unscathed. But as much as the idea of refuge is in the Bible, the idea of rescue not so much.
Take for instance the time Jesus says to Peter, "The enemy desires to have you so he can sift you like wheat...". What was the next thing Jesus said? He says, 'But I have prayed for you that your faith fails not." Bascially, Jesus claims, I am going to allow this to happen, but you can be sure that I am with you every step." That doesn't sound fair, and neither does the story of Job, or the fact that Jesus flat out tells us, "In this world you will have trouble..". But we can't ever forget to "take heart, for He has overcome the world".
As I begin to think a little further on the idea of refuge, the word "refugee" came to mind. A refugee is one who flees to a place or power to escape pain or persecution. Aren't all Christians indeed refugees in this world? Paul claims in Philippians 3 that "our citezenship is in Heaven". This is not our ultimate destination...so we find ourself in constant movement and in unsettled states. The closer we get to God, the more uncomfortable we will get. This world becomes more and more foregin to us. The worlds eratic behaviors become more and more repulsive. But instead of seeking "rescue" by the removal from it, we are to understand fully that God is our refuge in the middle of it. And that refuge is always there as the scripture claims, "God is our refuge and stength, and EVER PRESENT help in trouble."
I really do waste my time seeking rescue. If nothing else, praying for rescue represents a gross understanding of prayer itself...for prayer is our chief refuge in and of itself. Our glory that we experience as Christians must be founded in the idea of Godly refuge. The storms will roll, but there is an eternal place of shelter for those who belong to Him.